Congenital duodenal obstruction repair with and without transanastomotic tube feeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine the impact of transanastomotic tube (TAT) feeding in congenital duodenal obstruction (CDO).

Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis.

Patients: Infants with CDO requiring surgical repair.

Changes in the growth of very preterm infants in England 2006-2018.

Objective: To compare weight gain from birth to term equivalent age in very preterm infants in England born during two eras (2006-2011 and 2014-2018); to assess demographic and care factors influencing weight gain.

Methods: Data for infants born before 32 weeks of gestation during 2014-2018 in England were obtained (29 687 infants). Weight gain modelled using SuperImposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR), with infants grouped by gestational week.

Characteristics and outcome of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia established on long-term ventilation from neonatal intensive care.

Introduction: Ex-preterm infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) sometimes require long-term ventilation (LTV) to facilitate weaning from respiratory support. There are however limited data characterizing this cohort. We aim to describe the background characteristics, neonatal comorbidities, characteristics at the initiation of ventilation, and outcomes of neonatal unit graduates with BPD established on LTV.

Optimising growth in very preterm infants: reviewing the evidence.

Infants born before 32 weeks' postmenstrual age are at a high risk of growth failure. International guidelines have long recommended that they match the growth of an equivalent fetus, despite the challenges posed by ex utero life and comorbidities of prematurity. Several groups have recently questioned the necessity or desirability of this target, shifting attention to aiming for growth which optimises important long-term outcomes.

Implementing two-stage consent pathway in neonatal trials.

Perinatal trials sometimes require rapid recruitment processes to facilitate inclusion of participants when interventions are time-critical. A two-stage consent pathway has been used in some trials and is supported by national guidance. This pathway includes seeking oral assent for participation during the time-critical period followed by informed written consent later.

Total body water in full-term and preterm newborns: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Total body water (TBW) is one component of fat-free mass and changes in TBW are influenced by fluid shifts (especially during transition to postnatal life), electrolyte balance and nutritional status. Normal values for term-born neonates and preterm infants at birth have not been defined in large cohorts, limiting investigation into its monitoring and use in clinical practice.

Objective: To systematically review the evidence base for percentage of TBW in term-born infants, quantify the effect of prematurity on TBW at birth, and describe normal progression of TBW over time in preterm infants.

Generating longitudinal growth charts from preterm infants fed to current recommendations.

Objective: To use repeated measurements of weight, length and head circumference to generate growth centile charts reflecting real-world growth of a population of very preterm infants with a well-described nutritional intake close to current recommendations.

Design: Infants born before 30 weeks gestational age (GA) were recruited. Infants received nutrition according to an integrated care pathway, with nutrient intake recorded daily, weight recorded twice-weekly and length and head circumference weekly.

Home use of breast milk fortifier to promote postdischarge growth and breast feeding in preterm infants: a quality improvement project.

To improve the postdischarge growth of exclusively breastfed preterm infants, born weighing ≤1.8 kg, by using breast milk fortifier (BMF) supplements postdischarge until 48 weeks' gestational age. A quality improvement (QI) project involving plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles.

Early postnatal growth failure in preterm infants is not inevitable.

Background: Previously published data have demonstrated that preterm infants experience a fall across marked centile lines for weight in early life with early poor head growth also reported. This study describes a single neonatal unit's experience of longitudinal change in weight, head circumference (HC) and length in a cohort of preterm infants born <32 weeks' gestation.

Methods: Data were collected from a single neonatal unit between July 2012 and June 2017.

Epidemiology, management and outcome of ultrashort bowel syndrome in infancy.

Ultrashort bowel syndrome (USBS) is a group of heterogeneous disorders where the length of small bowel is less than 10 cm or 10% of expected for the age. It is caused by massive loss of the gut which in the neonatal period can be a result of vanishing gastroschisis or surgical resection following mid-gut volvulus, jejunoileal atresia and/or extensive necrotising enterocolitis. The exact prevalence of USBS is not known although there is a clear trend towards increasing numbers because of increased incidence and improved survival.